


Meeting at the Hog’s Head Inn

by Rulerofthecosmosandsnails



Series: Snippets [1]
Category: Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (Video Game)
Genre: Teasing, minor player/merula snyde, minuscule body horror?? i guess??? there’s a scar in there for 0.2 seconds, tbh everything i write rn is player/merula, you know that scene when you offer to train merula in the hogs head? i expanded on it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:47:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27961004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rulerofthecosmosandsnails/pseuds/Rulerofthecosmosandsnails
Summary: Kat didn’t really know what to expect when she got the note from Merula. There was a part of her that screamed “ITS A TRAP”, but if she wanted to sabotage her she would have probably done it in a more secluded spot.Besides, she’s been getting a lot nicer, at least in Kat’s opinion. What could happen?
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: Snippets [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2047790
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14





	Meeting at the Hog’s Head Inn

The bell over the door to the Hog’s Head Inn jingles as Kat opens it and steps into the musty tavern. Her eyes scan the mostly barren bar until she spots a lone figure at the second-furthest table from the door. As she makes her way over, Aberforth catches her eye and nods at her, and she bobs her head at him in turn.

“You’re recognized here, Solokov,” Merula observes as she slides into the seat across from her, “How often do you even come here?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kat snipes back, a mischievous grin twitching at the corners of her mouth, “I’ve never been here before.”

She narrowed her eyes. “…I can’t tell if you’re joking or just lying to me.”

“Maybe a bit of both. Besides, you generally don’t trust me anyways.” Kat leaned her chin into her palm, one of the sharp nails on her other hand scratching grooves into the hardwood table. “Why’d you want to meet me here, anyways?”

“Because I don’t want to be seen hanging out with you so much around Hogwarts. People are going to start to think we’re friends, instead of just fellow curse-breaking apprentices.”

“Yeowch.”

Merula waved a dismissive hand. “Get over it. It’s not what we’re here to talk about anyways.”

“What exactly are we here to talk about? You kinda just slipped me a note in potions telling me to come here and nothing else.”

“Literally the only thing I will talk to you about; the Cursed Vault, of course.” She ignored Kat’s sarcastic mumble of ‘oh, of course’. “You said, ready or not, it’s time for us to find a way into it.”

“Rakepick seems to think so at the very least. I’d have a little more time to prepare, but it can’t be helped.” She shrugged uncomfortably, as if she was unsure of whether it was the right choice. “She said she’d talk to us about it after we visit Kettleburn.”

“Yeah, and I wanted to talk to you before we talked with Rakepick.” Merula looked incredibly pained as she took a deep breath, like she was bracing herself for some inevitable doom. “You know what to expect. You’ve been to more Cursed Vaults than I have.”

“I thought you never actually entered a Vault…?”

Her lip curled. “Don’t rub it in. You’re here to tell me about the Cursed Vaults, not to fucking smear your success in my face. Now – “ bending down, she ignored Kat’s sputters at her last statement, and grabbed something out of her bag. She straightened up and slapped an empty notebook and a quill down on the table – “tell me everything about the Cursed Vaults.”

Kat’s brain seemed to pause as she took in the sight, looking from the book to Merula, and back again. She opened and closed her mouth like she wanted to say something but didn’t know where to start. Finally, she managed to get her voice working.

“You brought a notebook? To take notes? On what I, of all people, have to say?”

Her voice gained a dangerous, daring edge. “So what if I did?”

“Oh, I just didn’t know that the great Merula Snyde was so worried about going into her first Vault that she’d value my opinion, of all people.” She leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes and dramatically placing a hand on her chest. A wide grin spread over her face as she peeked open one eye to gage her reaction, which so far, wasn’t looking good. Exactly how she liked it. “I’m humbled, truly.”

Her cheeks were rapidly darkening. “Th-that’s not true!”

Kat’s smile seemed to grow wider, if that were even possible. “Alright, Most Powerful Witch at Hogwarts, alright. Whatever you say.”

“It’s not an annual event for me like it is for you!” She could simply imagine her clenching her fists under the table in frustration, her usual foot-stomp absent since she was sitting down. Kat almost missed it. “I’ve never broken a curse before!”

“So just admit that you’re nervous. Or – “ she gestured to the open book in front of her with a devilish grin – “perhaps write it down in your notebook.”

“Forget the stupid notebook!” There was the stomp! It wasn’t as loud when she was sitting down, but at least it was there. “I shouldn’t have brought it!”

“Aw, come on, Merula, you’ve teased me so many times! You can dish it out, but you can’t take it?”

“Alright, fine!” She huffed a frustrated breath through her nose and crossed her arms over her chest, but avoided her gaze in an almost bashful manner. It was a little cute, if Kat was being honest with herself. “I’m… a little nervous about going into my first Vault. There. Are you happy now?”

“Yeah, actually.” Merula raised a surprised, but judgement eyebrow at her. “I’m being serious! Hell, I’d be worried if you weren’t nervous about going into a Cursed Vault for the first time.”

“Oh.” She blinked. “Alright then.”

“Mhm.” Kat leaned back to stretch in her chair, before folding her arms onto the table and leaning forward. “So, what’d you wanna know?”

“Um, well… I suppose tell me how dangerous they are, first.” She picked up her quill and twirled it between her fingers. “I want to know what I’m getting into.”

“Immensely. Incredibly dangerous.”

“Yeah, well, I know that – “ Merula tapped the point of her quill impatiently on her book, splattering dots of ink onto the paper. “elaborate. I want to know what was so dangerous about the Vaults.”

“Hm… well, I suppose the most dangerous thing about the Vault of Ice was the Ice Knight.”

She raised an eyebrow as she paused her scribbling. “The Ice Knight.”

“Hey, I was like, twelve when I named it. Cut me some slack. And yes, the Ice Knight. Don’t give me that look, it was terrifying. It was like ten feet tall, armored to the teeth, and it had this massive sword. And it – “ she pulled the collar of her blue hoodie down past her right shoulder, revealing a jagged grey scar that stretched from the top of her shoulder joint to just above her armpit – “gave this to me. Zero out of ten, would not recommend.”

Merula seemed… oddly flustered at the sight. “Put your damn hoodie back on, people are staring! An-anyways.” She cleared her throat. “What about the other Vault? I don’t recall you staying in the hospital wing after that one.” 

“Oh, that’s because it gave me mental scars, not physical ones.” Kat noted how Merula’s eyes widened, but she didn’t acknowledge it as she plowed on. “The Vault of Fear was… a little rough, to say the least. Boggarts show you your worst fear, yeah? There were three of ‘em in there. Negative two out of ten, awful.”

“You don’t have to rate them, I get that.” She paused to look down at her notes as if to contemplate them, and then asked, “How would you prepare for the Vaults?”

“Oh, god, okay.” Kat exhaled deeply. “So, usually, you don’t want to be in there for more than… an hour or two, I’d say. For this Vault, I’d recommend your wand – “

A roll of her eyes. “Obviously.”

“Listen, do you want to learn or not? Yeah, that’s what I thought. Anyways. Your wand, a water bottle, a notebook, and maybe a snack or something. Someone should also bring a backpack to carry bandages and stuff in it, too.”

“I didn’t know we were going hiking instead of exploring a Vault.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Uh-huh. You won’t be laughing when we have to face the guardian of the Vault and someone gets hurt.”

“The ‘guardian’?”

“Yeah, that’s just what I call ‘em.” She shrugged. “The Ice Knight and the boggarts were all guardians of the Vaults. No doubt there’s one for the portrait Vault.”

Merula seemed to be doodling in her notebook instead of taking notes, but Kat didn’t really mind. “Do you have any guesses on what this ‘guardian’ might be?”

“…I actually don’t. I’ve got no clue what creature could be linked to putting people in portraits, of all things.”

“That… doesn’t instill me with much confidence. Like most of the things you tell me on a daily basis.”

“Hey, I’ve told you what you wanted to know, haven’t I?” She scratched at her jawline, gaze contemplative. “It might be easier if I actually trained you for what to expect instead of just telling you…”

“You. Train me. The Most Powerful Witch at Hogwarts?” Barking a harsh laugh, Merula scoffed. “What could you possibly teach me about magic?”

“I’m sorry, who’s the one with experience here? It’s me.” Kat ignored her offended sputter. “And I’m not suggesting I teach you anything, I just want to train you. Merlin knows you’d never listen to me anyways…”

“I listen! I listen far better than you, you airhead.” They both paused, and it looked like a million thoughts were flying through her head before she heaved a great sigh and her eyebrows furrowed. “But I guess I wouldn’t be… opposed, to extra training.” She shot her a piercing glare. “But if you order me around like some first-year I’ll hex you.”

Kat tried to smother the excited smile stretching her face, but failed. “Great! I’ll meet you at the Training Grounds tonight at… nine?”

“Ugh, no, that’s entirely too late. I don’t want to face Rakepick when you get detention from Filch for being out after curfew.” She picked at her robes. “Seven. Seven-thirty, at the latest. That gives us plenty of time to train.”

“Fine by me, just try not to yell at me too much if I’m late.” Kat stuck out her hand. “So, seven?”

Merula looked like she’d rather choke on slugs than shake her hand, but she did it with a surprising amount of grace. Retracting her hand, she made a show of wiping it on her robes before standing. “Seven. And I will yell at you if you’re late.”

She waved at her as she left; the Slytherin flipped her off as she walked out the door. She sighed and slumped in her chair, her nail finding the fresh groove she made in the table and gouging deeper, a satisfied and slightly dreamy hum buzzing from her throat. “I wouldn’t expect anything less…”

**Author's Note:**

> i’m a simple bisexual, i see enemies to lovers, i hyperfixiate
> 
> hmu on tumblr and talk hogwarts mystery with me at @struckbyelectriclove


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